Sauces: Basic is best

“Made in house” is a unique marketing mantra that should be on your menu. The more items you prepare from scratch, the more you stand out from your competition across the street. Granted, some items are easier to make than others. And some items are more labor intensive than others. The good news? Sauces are neither difficult nor too labor intensive. And the right combination of scratch-made sauces can really set your shop apart.

With that in mind, I’d like to present to you five “mother sauces.” Once the basic sauce is made, you can add an ingredient or two to expand the usage possibilities. In other words, these five basic sauces open up a wide range of options for your customers to enjoy.

Marinara sauce

(for pasta, pizza, chicken parmigiana and eggplant parmigiana, with expansion to an herbed sauce for pizza or pasta).

In a large heavy saucepan, heat the olive oil over medium-high heat for
1 minute. Add the onion and garlic. Cook and stir for 3-4 minutes. Add the tomatoes, oregano and basil. Cook the sauce at a steady simmer for 20-25 minutes or until it has reduced slightly and shows no signs of being watery. Add the sugar. Salt and pepper to taste.

Use at once for pasta. Or let cool for later use on pizza and pasta. Can be held in the cooler, covered, for 4-5 days.

By adding 3 tablespoons of chopped fresh, flat-leaf parsley (or fresh basil) while the sauce is simmering, you will create a sauce with a slightly different flavor. Add crushed red pepper flakes or hot sauce to create a spicy arrabbiata variation.

In a large heavy pot or Dutch oven, set over medium-high heat, warm the olive oil for 1 minute. Add the garlic and stir for 1 minute. Add the onion and parsley to the pot. Raise the heat to high. Add the wine and boil rapidly for 2-3 minutes to cook off the alcohol.

Reduce the heat to medium-high and add the sausage, crumbling it with the tines of a fork. Add the ground chuck. Cook and stir until the meat is no longer pink—about 4-5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, oregano, basil and sugar. Bring the sauce to a boil, reduce the heat, and simmer for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Makes about 1 ½ quarts sauce. It will keep in the cooler, covered, for 4-5 days. Scale up in direct proportion.

In a saucepan or sauté pan set over medium heat, warm the olive oil for 1 minute. Add the garlic and sauté only until the garlic is lightly browned. Discard the garlic. Add the clam juice to the pan. Add the thyme and the red pepper flakes. Simmer over low heat for
3-4 minutes. Add the pepper and the parsley.

Off the heat, add the chopped clams. Stir to combine.

To make this white clam sauce into a red clam sauce, simply stir in about ¼ cup marinara sauce.

This recipe will make enough sauce for about 4 servings of pasta. And it can be made ahead, but only to the point of adding the pepper and parsley.